Episode Twenty One: Facebook Likes

Virtute has been spending a lot of time studying social media these days. After the surprising success of his blog, he has become obsessed with counting the number of likes that he receives on Facebook. He’s also become an astute student of internet “memes” in hopes that he might be able to boost his own reach on the World Wide Web. Recently he’s been following Hunter Pence Signs in which opposing fans troll the San Francisco Giants Right Fielder with signs that are ridiculous but show him in a negative light. He begged and begged to do one.

I had to ask why. His response was astounding, “Since there’s been a breakdown in human interaction, we seek self-validation in the most base and ephemeral ways. Rather than being content with the love and affection shown to us by those we’ve built longstanding relationships with, we are instead lured by the possibility of instant gratification and possible celebrity.”

That didn’t seem to be in line with what I thought about Virtute, so I had to ask how such a thoughtful cat could be sucked into a culture so devoid of meaning. He responded, “Once the opportunity for community breaks down – when the bbqs are over, the group trips to the beach, the canning parties, the weddings and traditional feasts are gone, it’s easy to feel a deep desire for human interaction. In these desperate times the simple click of a button brings me a sense that someone, somewhere out there thinks I’m alright.”

I thought he was done, but he nervously turned back and said, “Can you please write on that blog that I hope many people will “like” this post on facebook and that they will “share” it with their friends.” And, well, that’s what I did.